It's embarrassing that it's taken me this long to visit Red Barn Books. For one thing, I drive past it probably once a week. More importantly, I know owner Amy Legg from my MOPS group - AND she didn't even get mad at me this winter for owing her money for over three months!* So I'm obviously talking about an establishment run by good people.
Before I get into the details of my trip to Red Barn with my two girls, I need to give you the Greensburg directions: It's located at 203 Old Route 30 in Greensburg, where Knit Wits used to be.
Depending upon the age of the person telling you how to find it, you might also hear that it's where Laurel Design used to be. The building also used to be a community center. Prior to that, it used to be a school. (I'm going to try to keep this up as long as possible in these posts!)
Kids' Area, taken from near the front of the store.
Red Barn Books sells books, games, movies and music. They do offer new items, but the bulk of what is for sale is used. If you need to declutter your house - and make some spare change while doing it - this also means that Red Barn will buy these items from you. Although a larger proportion of their inventory is composed of books for adults, about 25% of the physical space in the store is dedicated to the children's area.
While I'm on the subject of the kiddoes, Red Barn has a lot to offer your offspring. The kids' area is big enough to hang out, play with some toys, and read - whereas it is not big enough for them to run wild. (Don't look at me like it's just my kids....)
Emily, relaxing in the perfect kid-sized reading chair!
Their Kids' Club program allows each child under 12 to pick a free book (from a specific Kids' Club selection) every time they visit. And now you have an inexpensive alternative to being penned up in your house with the kids the next time Mother Nature cancels your outdoor plans. No need to thank me.
Are your kids so excited about reading that they can't pick just one book? Addtional books from the Kids' Club selection are just one American dollar! Your biggest problem is going to be narrowing down your choices. Here's a picture of the Kids' Club books - and I couldn't get all the shelves in the picture!
They're like potato chips. Just one's not going to do it!
Other kid activities at Red Barn include story times the last Friday evening of each month and a series of Summer FUNcamps. Tuition for the FUNcamps is $75 for one-day camps and $175 for three-day camps. These camps are taught by certified teachers on a variety of topics, including Star Wars®, LEGO® Robotics, Ancient Civilizations, Pioneer Girls, Under the Sea and Dinosaurs. The list of FUNcamps is featured on the right-hand column of Red Barn's website, where you can view complete details including dates offered and target ages for each.
For we so-called grown-ups who like books, Red Barn has an equally welcoming environment. I'd love to have a libary in my house with the same cozy vibe as this store. Naturally, you aren't going to find every book under the sun here like you might at a big retailer, but it's the perfect place to discover a title by your favorite author and pick it up at half-price or better. (But if you are looking for something specific, Red Barn can track a copy - new or used - down for you!) In the short time I was in the store, I found three books that I'd previously handled but didn't purchase in another store. I'd promised most of the outing's budget to $1 books the girls had already picked out, so I only bought The Dip by Seth Godin for myself. (I may return very soon for the other items!) And don't rule out the kids' section for something you might like. Check out this action I'm thinking about going back to buy:
I didn't look, but whatever the price on this, it has to be worth it
for re-reading Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing alone.
Ohmigoodnees, I almost forgot something I was super-excited about. This is kind of a sidebar, I guess. We also picked up a copy I Can Be: A Child's Whimsical Introduction to Yoga written by fellow Greensburger Christine Sumner (and illustrated by Kirk Salopek of Pittsburgh). I Can Be is offered at Red Barn as a new book, and I bought it without even looking at it, as Sumner went to college with my brother and his wife (and I just saw her at Idlewild last week!). So I didn't read any of it until we got home, but it's a short, delightful, rhyming story about some things children can be - like bears, crows or trees - which are also yoga poses. Instructions for performing the yoga poses are included in the back of the book.
In sum, Red Barn Books is a great place - for kids and adults alike. Although it took me long enough to finally shop there, I see many, many stops there in my future. If I'm lucky, the next one will be without the kids!
Our many books gave us plenty to do that evening when the power went out. Huzzah!
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